Advertisement

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

File Photo

Worst year on record: Almost 110,000 patients went without hospital beds last year

The INMO says its a 9% increase on 2017 – itself a record high – and nearly double the number in 2006 when records began.

LAST UPDATE | 2 Jan 2019

LAST YEAR WAS the worse record of hospital overcrowding says the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO). 

According to their Trolley Watch report 108,227 patients went without hospitals beds in 2018, a 9% percent increase on 2017 and double the number since records began in 2006.

The months with the highest figures were January (12,201), February (10,772) and March (10,511).

The hospital which was most impacted was Limerick University Hospital that saw 11,437 patients go without beds. The INMO blames the crisis on low capacity and understaffing.

INMO General Secretary Phil Ní Sheaghdha says, “The health service does not have enough beds to support our population.”

“More beds means more nurses, but the HSE simply can’t hire enough on these wages. It’s beyond time for the government to engage proactively with the INMO to resolve the crisis in Irish nursing and midwifery.”

“Patients should be focused on recovering,” he says. “2019 must see real changes in policy and funding to resolve this once and for all.” 

The worse hit hospitals were:

  • Limerick University Hospital – 11,437
  • Cork University Hospital – 9,135
  • Galway University Hospital – 7,452
  • Midlands Regional Hospital, Tullamore – 5,831
  • Tallaght University Hospital – 5,432

Today’s figures

2019 has, so far,  got off to a promising start as the number of people on trolleys today has dropped by 54% compared to the same day last year, according to the HSE.

However 236 patients are still awaiting admission to a hospital bed across the country.

The health service said that the month of December saw a 19% decrease in 8am trolley numbers compared to December 2017. It added that the comparison with quarter 2018 is skewed by the impact of a number of severe weather events.

It thanked the public for using alternative service options available including injury units, local GP and pharmacy services.

Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone...
A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.

Close
61 Comments
This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic. Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy here before taking part.
Leave a Comment
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Dan public
    Favourite Dan public
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 9:35 AM

    Not to worry minister harris has id under control, when asked recently about the trolly crisis he replied the following, any woman who wants an aboration will be able to get one come the first of january, the people of ireland have spoken. Thats what he said so all is fine

    259
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Orla Smith
    Favourite Orla Smith
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 10:27 AM

    @Dan public: You don’t need a hospital trolley to take a pill. Surgical abortions will be rare, and less of a drain on the health system than a full-term pregnancy which requires repeated hospital visits.

    69
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Adrian
    Favourite Adrian
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 10:47 AM

    @Dan public: incompetent minister harris is too busy declaring every second day momentus days because of all the referendums he’s jumping on the bandwagon with.

    144
    See 3 more replies ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Paul
    Favourite Paul
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 11:56 AM

    @Adrian: referendum held on a health issue, requiring direct input from the HSE and legislation overseen by the Minister for Health. Hardly bandwagoning is it. If you’re going to give out about him at least pick something accurate.

    9
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Adrian
    Favourite Adrian
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 1:35 PM

    @Paul: where do you think i should start? (Bearing in mind i only have 800 chars to work with)

    23
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Adrian
    Favourite Adrian
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 3:32 PM

    @Paul: i heard all these idiot politicians are being offered mindfulness classes now due to the stress levels they are experiencing in their jobs. Mindfulness classes won’t be much help if these idiot politicians don’t have the skills to do their jobs in the first place.

    18
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute George Vladisavljevic
    Favourite George Vladisavljevic
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 9:40 AM

    Interesting that both Leo Vardkar and Micheal Martin are both trained doctors and were both Ministers for Health at some stage of their careers and one would think that they would be able to offer some leadership in finding a solution to the fine mess.

    176
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute David Daly
    Favourite David Daly
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 10:02 AM

    @George Vladisavljevic: if I was running a business, be it a shop or a hospital a doctor is not the person for it. He may be able to diagnose a sickness but he most certainly cannot run a country. How does being a doctor qualify anyone to be minister for health? Doubt they teach that in medical school.

    110
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute George Vladisavljevic
    Favourite George Vladisavljevic
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 10:16 AM

    @David Daly:

    Living and working under the same roof in hospitals might enlighten one to what is going on around them. Reducing the number of beds and medical staff has been going on for years and I am sure that they can testify to that as at least a part of the problem that is causing the ever-increasing number of people on trolleys. A phone call to serving colleagues and doctors within the HSE could also assist in finding root causes of this ever-increasing mess. What experience does the current health minister have in running such a department?

    70
    See 8 more replies ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute David Daly
    Favourite David Daly
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 10:47 AM

    @George Vladisavljevic: absolutely none. This is my point, perhaps someone with large medical facility management experience or even just management experience in large regulated high pressure facilities may be suitable. If I graduated as a doctor and worked in a hospital for 10 years I highly doubt I would be given a managerial role just on the fact I am a doctor and have worked in a hospital. I’d say that’s the least of the qualifications I would need to really know how to successfully run an efficient service.

    18
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Sean
    Favourite Sean
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 10:55 AM

    @George Vladisavljevic: James Reilly (health minister 2011-2014) was a doctor also. Fat lot of good he did either in the role.

    34
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute George Vladisavljevic
    Favourite George Vladisavljevic
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 11:12 AM

    @David Daly:

    I agree with and understand what you are saying but I am puzzled that neither of them has really spoken out as a doctor in what may need to be done (from a medical perspective) to resolve this ever worsening situation and the seemingly endless amount of money that they are pumping into this institution that is visibly dysfunctional when it comes to the overcrowding and trolleys.

    19
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute David Daly
    Favourite David Daly
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 11:33 AM

    @George Vladisavljevic: yeah 100% I would imagine they are out of their depth with the issues and are completely incapable of doing the job they are appointed to.

    18
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute KerryBlueMike
    Favourite KerryBlueMike
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 1:21 PM

    @George Vladisavljevic: Martin is a teacher.

    26
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute George Vladisavljevic
    Favourite George Vladisavljevic
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 2:05 PM

    @KerryBlueMike:

    Many thanks for that. Don’t know where I got that he was a doctor. Must have confused it with his earlier role as Minister for Health.

    4
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute marg fitzgerald
    Favourite marg fitzgerald
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 6:00 PM

    @George Vladisavljevic: Micheál Martin a trained doctor? I don’t think so

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute paul kelly
    Favourite paul kelly
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 7:24 PM

    @George Vladisavljevic: Micheal Martin is not a doctor.

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Willy Mc Caul
    Favourite Willy Mc Caul
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 9:38 AM

    Cabinet reshuffle by Lieo and Housing and health to get a new 5 year plan. Isn’t this the norm !

    156
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute sinead foley-coleman
    Favourite sinead foley-coleman
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 1:42 PM

    @Willy Mc Caul: yippee we’re all saved..whatever happened to simply blaming the patients for the appalling health service and the people who took out mortgages beyond their means for the housing crisis…. then we wouldn’t need to waste money on a plan and everything could remain as is!!!!!

    21
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Willy Mc Caul
    Favourite Willy Mc Caul
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 2:59 PM

    @sinead foley-coleman: I think you misunderstood my comment…

    5
    See 2 more replies ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute sinead foley-coleman
    Favourite sinead foley-coleman
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 5:46 PM

    @Willy Mc Caul: Sorry Willy I was sarcastic.

    2
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute sinead foley-coleman
    Favourite sinead foley-coleman
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 8:37 PM

    @sinead foley-coleman: *being sarcastic ……. another 5 year plan certainly is the norm for this gov

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Dave Doyle
    Favourite Dave Doyle
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 11:51 AM

    If the public health service functioned as it should, there would be no need for Dennis’s private hospitals, or the other private hospitals.
    All TDs, ministers and their families,all parties, should, by law, have to use the public health service. Then there would be serious changes.

    69
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute paul kelly
    Favourite paul kelly
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 7:28 PM

    @Dave Doyle: Thats the problem with the system, Private insurance is like Priorty boarding , allows you to jump the queue, but to make people buy the priority boarding you have to make the queue very long .

    If the public system was great, no- one would pay for private insurance.

    6
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute William Bryan
    Favourite William Bryan
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 9:44 AM

    Lies lies lies, or Simon says

    91
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Sheelagh Reid
    Favourite Sheelagh Reid
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 9:55 AM

    110,00? What kind of a number is that?

    41
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Alan Currie
    Favourite Alan Currie
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 10:55 AM

    @Sheelagh Reid: binary?

    16
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Michael Reilly
    Favourite Michael Reilly
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 12:36 PM

    @Sheelagh Reid: Rounded up no doubt.

    4
    See 1 more reply ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Frankie Mangan
    Favourite Frankie Mangan
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 5:37 PM

    @Michael Reilly: from 109.000?

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Michael O'Neill
    Favourite Michael O'Neill
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 9:38 AM

    How many got beds? And is that up or down from the last year?
    I don’t know if the answer is good or bad but we only ever seem to get the negative numbers reported.

    I know that doesn’t excuse the number that didn’t get beds but without the context it’s just sensationalist reporting.

    34
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Chin Feeyin
    Favourite Chin Feeyin
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 10:49 AM

    @Michael O’Neill: it says in the article it is a 9% increase on 2017.

    27
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Michael O'Neill
    Favourite Michael O'Neill
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 3:52 PM

    @Chin Feeyin: I’m kinda worried that 21 people liked your reply when you answered incorrectly.

    “108,227 patients went without hospitals beds in 2018, a 9% percent increase on 2017 and double the number since records began in 2006.”

    That’s a 9% increase on the number that went WITHOUT beds.
    I asked how many GOT beds.
    Is it 200,000, 2 million etc. etc.
    Is that 108000 people 80% of the people that presented or 2%. These are basic questions.

    10
    See 7 more replies ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Frankie Mangan
    Favourite Frankie Mangan
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 5:41 PM

    @Michael O’Neill: Oh I get it now. We should focus on who the lottery worked for and not get bogged down on those who suffered or better still why not blame those who are on the trolleys for not getting up earlier in the morning.

    4
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Nuala Mc Namara
    Favourite Nuala Mc Namara
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 7:03 PM

    @Michael O’Neill: According to IT article in Nov’18 “Ireland has the 4th lowest number of hospital beds says OECD” ie just 2.3 beds per 1000 of population!

    3
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Michael O'Neill
    Favourite Michael O'Neill
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 10:44 PM

    @Frankie Mangan: Look if you don’t understand why knowing the context is important its your job to educate yourself.
    If you don’t want to our are unable to that’s not my problem.

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Michael O'Neill
    Favourite Michael O'Neill
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 10:46 PM

    @Nuala Mc Namara: Grand. So do you know the actual answer to the question I asked?
    Jesus, beginning to think this is rocket science.

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Nuala Mc Namara
    Favourite Nuala Mc Namara
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 11:57 PM

    @Michael O’Neill:2.3 beds per 1000 of population & Ireland’s population is 4.78m so work it out yourself now!!!

    3
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Michael O'Neill
    Favourite Michael O'Neill
    Report
    Jan 3rd 2019, 5:32 AM

    @Nuala Mc Namara: Great. And the question was how many people used those beds in 2019.

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Nuala Mc Namara
    Favourite Nuala Mc Namara
    Report
    Jan 3rd 2019, 8:58 AM

    @Michael O’Neill: In the ‘Health in Ireland Key Trends 2018 Report’ Chapter 3 : Hospital Care :Table 3.1a: Public Acute Hospital Statistics 2008-2017 it shows those statistics for 2017(haven’t read all of it myself!)!The 2019 Report will show statistics for 2018!

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Picture This
    Favourite Picture This
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 10:17 AM

    The story starts with 110.000 on waiting lists worse ever says IMO you get down a bit and its because the HSE simply can’t hire nurses on these wages. The solution is always to throw away even more money. Consultants pay a huge role, not discharging people quickly and not at all at weekends in a lot of cases. Families dumping elderly patients in hospitals to fasttrack a placement in homes for the elderly.

    25
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Greg Blake
    Favourite Greg Blake
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 11:18 AM

    @Picture This: yea but why do people use the ER to gain access to other services? Is it not because the entire system is dysfunctional? Leading us back to incompetent management and lack of leadership.

    34
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Nuala Mc Namara
    Favourite Nuala Mc Namara
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 12:24 PM

    @Picture This: The 110,000 patients had no beds= there were on hospital trolleys!
    In Sept last year there was nearly 720,000 on hospital waiting lists for appointments,etc!

    11
    See 3 more replies ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute sinead foley-coleman
    Favourite sinead foley-coleman
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 1:49 PM

    @Greg Blake: absolutely….. cannot blame families for not taking people home in order to expedite the nursing home application. Families don’t get enough support to care for family member at home. Home care packages are a JOKE… fifteen to thirty minute visits allocated to get an immobile person out of bed, showered, dressed and fed. Completely inadequet and inhuman. Often cases are people discharged home to elderly spouse who may themselves require assistance in reality. Radical overhaul of services for seniors required and tweaking of fairdeal scheme required.

    12
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Padraig Bateman
    Favourite Padraig Bateman
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 5:09 PM

    @Nuala Mc Namara: You’d have to question why 1/6 of the population are needing hospital treatment, nevermind being on a waiting list.

    3
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Nuala Mc Namara
    Favourite Nuala Mc Namara
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 6:49 PM

    @Padraig Bateman: Its not surprising when there are backlogs all the time!
    The NTPF records the number of patients on 9 different lists and the total was nearly 720,000 in September last year.
    The NTPF does NOT include patients “waiting for diagnostic procedures such as x-rays or MRIs,those waiting for speech& language therapy, psychology,dietetics&other professional health services” according to Irish Times.

    3
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Seriously stunned
    Favourite Seriously stunned
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 11:53 AM

    Good man Simon keep up the good work………….

    23
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute yildun
    Favourite yildun
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 9:58 AM

    WTF they doing with the billions spent on Health service? We are 33 percent higher that the OECD average and still get a shite service

    92
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Gulliver Foyle
    Favourite Gulliver Foyle
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 11:48 AM

    @yildun: as with everything, it is difficult to break down, but the majority of spending each year is split between primary care and hospitals. primary Care is probably the biggest sieve, as the medical card statement is a mess (I have a gp card, despite earning over €100k last year). in terms of hospitals, the overall spend in generally”under”, but doctors and consultants get heavily skewed increases relative to nurses (and administrators). there should probably be 50:30:20 budget reallocation, with 50% of budget to equalise nurses closet to teachers, 30% to increase numbers overall, and 20% to consultants (rather than the current other way around).

    9
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Ciaran Bolger
    Favourite Ciaran Bolger
    Report
    Jan 3rd 2019, 10:06 AM

    @Gulliver Foyle: just the kind of stupidity that has us in this mess. We employ more nurses than any other country in the world (OECD). Too many work as administrators instead of on the ward. How many patients are on waiting lists to be seen or treated by nurses or administrators? None. But solution is to make service even less attractive to the consultants when what we need is many more of them

    1
    See 1 more reply ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Ciaran Bolger
    Favourite Ciaran Bolger
    Report
    Jan 3rd 2019, 10:07 AM

    @Gulliver Foyle: just the kind of thinking that has us in this mess. We employ more nurses than any other country in the world (OECD). Too many work as administrators instead of on the ward. How many patients are on waiting lists to be seen or treated by nurses or administrators? None. But solution is to make service even less attractive to the consultants when what we need is many more of them

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Donal Carey
    Favourite Donal Carey
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 1:57 PM

    This Government keeps leaving people into this Country when they cannot look after what is here already .FG FF need to wake up to reality the numbers don’t add up .

    22
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute KerryBlueMike
    Favourite KerryBlueMike
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 1:20 PM

    The budget is €17B, it requires €20B a year to run our health service. That means paying for terms and conditions that will entice Irish nurses and doctors to actually apply for the positions that are advertised. It means paying to open up another 1,000 beds in the system .
    That’s the easy part, the hard part is persuading the population to pay for it with higher taxes on income.

    9
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute sinead foley-coleman
    Favourite sinead foley-coleman
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 1:53 PM

    @KerryBlueMike: if people saw value for money (look to Scandinavia) then it would be justifiable to increase taxes but the present and persistent mismanagement of the health service means people rightly kick against such increases. Throwing more money at the system will not work and I speak as someone who has worked in both public and private health care.

    30
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Paul Murphy
    Favourite Paul Murphy
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 2:46 PM

    @sinead foley-coleman: How can you have value for money when the net contribution the service users is negligible? A very small group of actual service users pay for the full trestm6they receive and ad the amount of users increase that don’t pay of course the running costs go up. Seems to be the elephant in the room. If you keep people out of hospitals through primary care you allow hospitals to return to their primary functions. Build care centres install facilities and put GPs into them and watch hospital presentations fall. The attitude if I have a medical card so I’ll skip the GP mentality needs to stop. EDs have become the GPs practice of the future.until this is addressed the Hospitals will always be overcrowded

    8
    See 1 more reply ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Moorooka Mick
    Favourite Moorooka Mick
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 8:44 PM

    @Paul Murphy:
    Perhaps its cheaper in the long run to have a. free/nationally funded GP system so that patients can receive more efficient health care than having to bypass the GP for financial reasons. Taxpayers pay a fortune educating and training GPs and associated medical practitioners only to see them emigrate and being replaced by 3rd world doctors. We are doing the same thing with our well educated/well trained citizens; export them and replace them with needy immigrants to maintain population. But I guess the “Brain Drain” explains why we don’t have the brains to remedy the problem!

    3
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Michael Maher
    Favourite Michael Maher
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 3:21 PM

    The circus continues and the show goes on free condoms for all, compliments of FG/FF

    12
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Frankie Mangan
    Favourite Frankie Mangan
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 5:36 PM

    But but.. we are keeping the recovery going. I can see why these people on trolleys don’t just get up earlier in the morning. That will mean they will have more time to enjoy the recovery.

    6
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Moorooka Mick
    Favourite Moorooka Mick
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 8:23 PM

    The E13 billion Apple Tax should fix the hospitals for at least 10 years and there should be 5 times that in the pipeline from other multinationals on the same tax gig.
    We have a choice, vote for a party who will fairly tax multinationals or shut up about the
    inept and under resourced hospital system.
    Individuals are already taxed to the hilt so if we want better Government services owe simply have to tax the corporations. The “trickle down effect” is a blatant fraud and the
    Adam Smith Libertarians/Free Marketeers should be called out as crass Capitalists !
    We have just copped a massive recession which the working class hs had to pay for and
    the taxing of those responsible in a decade overdue.

    2
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Moorooka Mick
    Favourite Moorooka Mick
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 8:32 PM

    @Moorooka Mick:
    God help us, we’ll have to wait until the EU invokes a regulation to say that there can’t be more than two hours waiting time for a hospital bed!
    The simple question we have to ask is how much will it cost to get rid of the hospital trolley queues, how will we pay for it and what political party has the dangly bits to implement the policy?

    3
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Caoimhin O'Murchadha
    Favourite Caoimhin O'Murchadha
    Report
    Jan 3rd 2019, 12:29 PM

    Keep the recovery going, great little country, well done Simon it’s all under control!

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Paul Power
    Favourite Paul Power
    Report
    Jan 2nd 2019, 3:04 PM

    Didn’t Enda Kenny say he’d sort that out.

    1
Submit a report
Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
Thank you for the feedback
Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.

Leave a commentcancel

 
JournalTv
News in 60 seconds